Improvement in harvesters



UNITED STATES PATENT Ori-vica.

CHARLES TINKER AND J. A. sPRAGUE, oF MANTUA, onto.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 7,945, dated August 4, 1857.

' v accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is a top view of the machine. Fig.

2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a front elevation.

Like letters refer to like parts in the several views. v

A represents the frame of the machine, and B the driving or ground wheel. This has an interior rim, C, Fig. 2, furnished with cogs upon its inner surface. These cogs drivetwo 'pinions D D, which are supported on journals E E, that pass through the bar F, which is bent downward so as to let the shaft of the main wheel pass above it, as seen at E', Fig. 1. The shaft ot' the main wheel forms thejournal or bearing of the bevel-wheel Gr, which has a hollow shaft through which the main shaft passes. A small leading-wheel,that cannot be seen in any of the views, gears into both the wheelsDD. Standing,asitdoes,betweenthem, and being concentric with the main Wheel, it receives its power equally from both the wheels D D, this power and motion being communicated to the bevel-wheel G, which is situated upon the same shaft, and which is also concentric with the main wheel. This bevel-wheel G drives the crank-shaft H, upon which is the balance-wheel H and the crank-wheel H", Fig. 3. The connecting-rod I extends from the crank to the vibrating'suspension-rod K. By this means another connecting-rod, L, is putin motion, and this, by its connection with the cutter-bar M N, gives motion to that part, as seen in Figs.' 1 and 3. The end of the frame that carries the cutter-bar and its appendages is supported by a ground-wheel, O, Figs. 1 and 2. The cutter-bar M N and the finger-bar P are supported upon or by long arms Q Q. These arms divide before reaching the frametimber A, as seen at R R, and are secured to that piece by a long staple or its equivalent, that passes through holes in the branching l ends, and then, turning at right angles, enters the frame A.

The holes through which the staple passes are oblong on the outer end of each arm, as seen at R', Fig. 2, to allow of alittle vibration, necessary to the free action of the several parts, as hereinafter described. The iinger-bar l? is attached at each end to one of the arms Q by a link or universal joint, as seen at S-S, Figs. l and 2, thus allowing the cutter andfinger bar to rise and fall with the inequalities ot' the ground; or one end can lise while the other falls, or vice versa, and thus the cutterbar can adapt itself to elevations and depressions in every direction.

For the purpose of guarding againsta sidewise strain Awe attach a long rod, T, by a lilik or joint, to the inner end of the nger-bar P, as seen at T. The opposite end of this rod is attached to the under side ofthe forward partof the frame A by a link-joint at a point exactly coinciding in its position with the union of the two connecting-rods I and -L-that is, the rod T has just the same length as the connecting-rod L, which drives the cutter-bar. By this arrangement the cutter-bar and its appendages are free to move in any direction except sidewise. l

ln order to prevent the cutter and finger b ar from tipping forward and thus digging into the ground, we apply stops U Uto the under sideof the forward part of the arms Q Q, which strike upon the heelot' the shoe V. This allows the cutter-bar to vibrate upward from a horizontal position, but will not allow the forward edge to drop below the horizontal plane.

For the purpose of placing the cutter-bar entirely under the control ot' the driver, as he sits upon his seat W, so that he may raise it from the ground in order tov avoid coming in con tact with a stone or other obstruction, either in the middle or at either end ofthe cutter-bar, we attach bent levers XIX, by the shorter arm, to the forward end of the arms Q Q. The fulcrum ot' this bent lever consists of the wheel'y Y, the journal of which passes through the angle of the lever and the face of the wheel resting upon the ground, thus formingthe fulcrum. The long arms of the levers X extend upward, each being united to or coupled with the handlevers Z and Z (shown in Fig. 3 by the side of the seat W, and at Z and Z in Figs. 1 and 3) by means of connecting-rods a, and b, Fig. 1.

The rod a' connects with the lever Z, and by drawing back the upper end of this lever in the direction of the arrow to a vertical position (see red line in Fig. 2) theinner or left-hand end of the cutter-bar can be elevated to avoid any obstacle that may be seen ahead by the driver. The lever Z being attached to a rockshaft, c, that extends along the frame-Work A from the seat W toward the right, and having an arm, d, extending upward about a foota distance corresponding to the point of attachment of the rod a to the lever Z, as seen at d', Fig. 2-the lever Z' being drawn backward, in the same manner as has been described in reference to the lever Z, the outer end of the cutter-bar can in like manner be raised from the ground at the pleasure ot' the driver, in order to avoid any obstruction, or the Whole cutterbar and its appendages can be raised so as to entirely clear the ground. In this movement of one, or either, or both ot the levers Z and Z' the weight ot' the cutter-bar and its appendages is transferred, in Whole or in part, as one or both the levers are drawn back from the shoes V V to the Wheels Y Y, which form the fulcrums of the bent levers X X.

In moving the machine from place to place, or from one eld to another, both the levers Z and Z are drawn backward as described, and secured. Atthe same time the bevel-wheel upon the crank-shaft H is thrown out of gear by the sliding lever e, and the Whole machine is drawn over the ground upon the four Wheels B O Y Y, as described. The bevel-Wheel upon the shaft H being now slipped into gear and the levers Z and Zl released, the machine is ready for operation.

1n backing the machine ont of the grass or grain, in turning a corner, or in passing over mown grass, the advantages of this arrangement become most apparent.

What we claim as our improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The vibrating arm K, parallel rod I, and connecting-rod T, in combination with the bent levers X X, fulcrum-vvheels Y Y, levers Z Z', and stops U U, when the same are arranged to operate in relation to each other and used in connection with a self-adjusting cutter and linger bar substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES TINKER.

J. A. SPRAGUE.

Witnesses:

J oHN T. EsrY, B1LL1NGs P. FINGH, J. E. RIDDLE, ANDREW J. SQUmE. 

